Mattress depressor



Dec. 7, 1965 G. s. BRADLEY 3,2

MATTRESS DEPRESSOR Filed Dec. 9, 1963 FIG. I 42 INVENTOR. G. S. BRADLEYl FIG. 9 FIG. IO monuev United States Patent 3,221,34 MATTRESS DEPRES0RGeorge S. Bradley, 3424 24th St., Rock Island, Ill. Filed Dec. 9, 1963,Ser. No. 329,074 13 Claims. (Cl. -317) This invention relates to amattress depressor which finds particular utility in creatingdepressions in upper portions of mattresses to render such mattress morecomfortable to the users thereof. More particularly the invention aimsat improving the mattress for bed patients, invalids, etc., bydepressing the mattress in one or more localized areas and therebyavoiding undesirable pressures on certain parts of the patients anatomy.

For example, a person lying flat on his back for a prolonged period willexperience tenderness in his heel areas because of the localized supportof his legs primarily on his heels. Similarly, other bony structures areafiected by long periods of supporting weight where movement of theaffected part is limited. Prior attempts to solve these problems havebeen devoted mainly to pillows, pads, inflated rings, etc., but thesehave proven to be undesirable because of bulk, lack of stability, highcost and short life and the like.

According to the present invention, a novel approach is made on thebasis of a device by means of which a selected area of a mattress may bedepressed, thus affording a controlled depression which receives thevulnerable part, thus transferring the weight-supporting task to anotherbody part better suited for the purpose. For example, in the instance ofthe formation of a depression for a persons heel, the support of the legis transferred to the fleshy and muscular part of the back of the leg,immediately eliminating tenderness in the heel and in general improvingthe overall condition of the patient.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a simple form ofdevice which may be economically constructed of long-life, durablematerials as distinguished from rubber, fabric, etc., and to associatewith this device upper and lower pressure members which engagerespectively selected upper and lower surface portions of the mattressto compress the mattress therebetween, the upper element having a muchsmaller area than the lower so that the desired depression occurs solelyin the top of the mattress. A still further object of the inventionresides in the means whereby the vertical depressing force is appliedbetween the two elements, in one case the means comprising a flexiblewire-like tension member penetrating the mattress and connected to theelements, and in the other case the means including arms respectivelyconnected rigidly to the elements and extending laterally to areleasable connection beyond the edge of the mattress. It is a featureof the invention that, in either form of the device, the elements may bedisconnected and used over and over, being preferably constructed ofstainless steel or plated metal and thus being easily maintained,sterilized, etc.

A further object resides in the shapes of the cooperative elementswhereby the depression in the mattress is controlled so as to secure adesirable configuration thereof.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable featuresinherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent as twoembodiments thereof are disclosed in detail, by way of example, in theensuing description and accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of one form of the device, shown assembled andapart from the mattress;

FIG. 2 is an elevation, showing the device in use on "ice a mattress,the latter being shown in dot-dash lines in the interests of simplicityand clarity;

FIG. 3 is a top plan of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, showing theconnection means between the upper and lower elements;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective of another form of device, shown assembled andapart from a mattress;

FIG. 7 is a view comparable to FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 1(l-1ll of FIG.8.

FIGS. 1-5

In this form of the invention, the device includes a bottom plate-likeelement 10, an upper button-like element 12, upper and lower arms 14 and16, respectively, and connection means 18 for releasably interconnectingthese arms.

The element 10 is preferably circular and of stainless steel or platedmetal for ready hospital acceptance, and has a generally flat centraltop portion 20 bordered by an annular marginal upstanding rib 22. Aswill be brought out below, this configuration, plus the difference inarea between the two elements 10 and 12, is instrumental in controllingthe mattress so as to enable the achievement of a depression of desiredshape.

In one form of the invention, the diameter of the element 10 may be onthe order of six to ten inches while that of the element 12, which ishere a circular ring, may be on the order of one to three inches. Thesedimensions are, of course, given by way of examples, for other sizescould be used, but it should be observed that the element 10 has aneffective mattress-engaging area substantially greater than that of theelement 12. In this instance, and using an element 10 diameter of 6%"and an element 12 diameter of 1.54", the area of element 16 is sometwenty times larger than that of element 12. Variations on both sides ofthis ratio are of course permitted, depending upon the size of themattress depression desired. The illustrated device is primarily usefulin creating a depression of the Such depressions are well adapted toaccommodate, say, a size and shape shown at 24 in a mattress 26 (FIG.2). persons heel, it being noted that the depression has a bottom 28 andan upwardly and outwardly sloping annular wall 30, giving the depressiona crater-like form. This is largely due to the annular rib 22 on theelement 10, which concentrates the forces at the bottom of the mattressinto a comparable circle or ring so that the sides of the crater formmore of a cup rather than a large-diameter saucer.

It should also be understood that the installed device will be coveredby further bed clothes, at least a sheet, to cover the ring or element12 so as to avoid direct contact with the patients body. Further, andlooking at FIG. 3, the patient will be lying normal to the lateralextent of the arms 14 and 16 and the arm 14 will not interfere with hisfoot or leg.

The arm 16 is rigidly secured to the bottom of the element It), as by apair of screws 32, and is adapted to extend laterally beneath themattress to a terminal end portion 34 beyond the proximate edge 36 ofthe mattress. The length of the arm 16, as well as that of the arm 14,is based on the desired position of the mattress depression 24, and thisof course will vary with the conditions for which a particular device isdesigned.

Rigidly secured to and rising from the end portion 34 of the arm 16 is ahollow leg 38 which, with a telescopically received vertical leg 40 onthe terminal end 42 of the upper arm 14, comprises part of theconnection means 18. The inner end of the arm 14 is shaped with adownward and inward neck 44, to accommodate the mattress depression 24,and is secured as by welding to the upper element 12. The leg 38 hasnear its upper end a pair of transversely alined openings, one of whichis visible at 46, and the leg 40 on the arm 14 has a series ofvertically spaced apart openings 48, any selected one of which may bealined with the pair of openings 46 for receipt of a removable lockelement 50.

When the lock element or member 50 is withdrawn, the telescopicconnection is freed to allow the two halves of the device to be movedapart enough to enable the arms 14 and 16 to be positioned respectivelyover and under the mattress, the lower arm of course being insertedbetween the bottom of the mattress and the spring or other mattresssupport, as at 52 (FIG. 2). Downward manual force applied to the arm 14in the area of its midpoint will push the leg 40 downwardly into thehollow upright leg 38 of the arm 16 until the desired depth of thedepres sion at 24 is attained, following which the pin or element St isinserted in the appropriate holes 46-48 to retain the locked position ofthe parts. It will be understood that the lower leg 16 will normally beresting on the spring or other mattress support 52 so that applicationof down ward force on the arm 14 is a relatively easy task. Also, thematter of achieving the lock at 464850 is facilitated by the fact thatthe resisting or spring-back force of the mattress occurs mainly alongthe line of coaxiality of the elements 10 and 12 and thus tends to cockthe leg 40 in the leg 38, creating enough friction to relieve the userof at least part of the job of resisting mattress springback while atthe same time trying to line up the openings 46 and 48. By the sametoken, to release the device, pressure may be applied to the arm 14midway between the leg 40 and ring or element 12, and this will sufliceto free any bind on the pin 50 as well as between the telescopic legs.

In FIG. 3, the broken radial lines are used to illustrate the generaluniformity of the shape of the depression at 24.

It will be apparent that the provision of the several openings 48 in theleg 40, together with the lengths and telescopic fit of the legs 40 and38, adapts the device to mattresses of different thicknesses.

FIGS. 6-10 The device shown here has the basic characteristics of thatdescribed above, with the chief difference residing in the means forexerting force between and for interconnecting the elements. The basicelements appear at 10 and 12', the former having the same configurationas element 10 in that it has the flat central part 24) and marginal rib22' (compare FIG. but instead of being drilled to receive the cap screws32 it has a single central aperture 38. t

The element 12' is a concave-convex disk, used with its concave sidedown, and has a central aperture, not shown, through which is downwardlypassed a wire-like connecting and force-exerting member 18', headed at40, to prevent downward withdrawal from the element 12', and preferablysharpened at its lower end at 46 (FIG. to facilitate its penetration ofand insertion through the mattress 26'. This wire is of course threadedthrough the lower element aperture 38' and a combination of downwardpressure from above on the element 12 and tension onthe wire 18' drawsthe element 12' downwardly to create the mattress depression 24', thecontrol ring 22' functioning as in the case of the ring 22 to secure aproper depression. The free end of the Wire is then pulled laterally inbent fashion at 48 beneath the element 10' and retained by drawing it atright angles to the bent portion 48, which engages it with a clip orlock member 50' welded to the bottom of the element. This clip isdesigned to provide a wedging action on the wire which serves to retainit against pulling out by the spring-hack in the mattress.

In practice, it will be found that this device can be used over and overon the same mattress, for the punctures made by the wire in the mattresscover are minor, and the holes through the interior of the mattress areinsignificant. The length of the wire may be such as to adapt it tomattresses of ditferent thicknesses. Proper selection of the wirematerial assures long life despite possibly frequent bending andstraightening for locking and unlocking. Further, the wire is aninexpensive part and may be easily replaced.

SUMMARY Both forms of the device have in common the basic concept ofbeing able quickly, easily and economically to form desired depressionsin mattresses. The structure in either case is simple, requires littleskill in use, and is clearly hospital-acceptable because of theselection of material and cleanness of design.

Features and advantages other than those enumerated herein will readilyoccur to those versed in the art, all of which may be exploited withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress depressor for a mattress on which an invalid person or thelike is reclining so as to provide in the top of such mattress alocalized depression capable of receiving and alleviating distress in abody part of such person, comprising: a lower plate-like element adaptedto engage generally flatwise a portion of the bottom of a mattressspaced a substantial distance inwardly from the marginal edge of suchmattress, an upper button-like element adapted to engage the uppersurface of the mattress at a portion thereof in vertical alinement withsaid bottom element, said bottom element having a mattress-engaging areasubsantially greater than that of said upper element, and meansoperatively connected between the elements for exerting a vertical forcebetween the elements to hold the upper element downwardly toward thebottom element and thereby to create a substantial depression in theupper surface of the mattress centered about said upper element.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the area of said bottomelement is on the order of fifteen to twentyfive times greater than thatof the upper element.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: said upper element iscircular. I

4. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the forceexerting meansis a vertical member connected centrally to the upper element and passeddownwardly through the mattress and connected to the bottom element.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, in which: the bottom element has acentral aperture therein, said member is wire-like and is passed throughsaid aperture and drawn taut, and said bottom element has meansadditional to the aperture for engaging and retaining said member.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the forceexerting meanscomprises upper and lower lateral arms rigidly secured respectively tosaid upper and lower elements and adapted respectively to extend overand under the mattress to vertically alined terminal end portionsclosely beyond said edge of the mattress, and releasable connectionmeans interconnecting said terminal end portions and normally etfectiveto retain the downward status of said upper element.

7. The invention defined in claim 6, in which: said connection meansincludes vertically telescopically associated legs rigidly securedrespectively to said terminal end portions and a removable lock memberfor selectively connecting and releasing said legs.

8. The invention defined in claim 7, in which: one of said legs has anopening therethrough and the other leg has a series of vertically spacedopenings therethrough of which a selected opening is transverselyalinable with the opening in said one leg, and said lock member isinsertable through and withdrawable from such alined openings.

9. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: said bottom element iscircular and has a generally flat central portion and an annularmarginal upstanding rib.

10. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: said upper element is acircular ring.

11. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: said upper element is acircular concavo-convex part disposed with its concave side downwardly.

12. A mattress depressor for deforming a mattress on which an invalidperson or the like is reclining so as to provide in the top of suchmattress a localized depression capable of receiving and alleviatingdistress in a body part of such person, comprising: upper and lowerelements arranged in vertical opposition to each other and adapted toengage, respectively, upper and lower mattress portions spaced asubstantial distance inwardly from the marginal edge of such mattress,and means operatively connected between the elements for holding theelements in closely vertically spaced apart relation with the mattressgripped therebetween, said elements being of such relative sizes thatthe lower element is substantially larger than the upper element and isthereby adapted to engage a relatively large area of the bottom of themattress without material upward deformation of the mattress bottom inthat area, the upper element, being materially smaller than the lowerelement, engaging a relatively small area of the top of the mattressdirectly over and generally cen tered on the bottom area so as to deformsaid small top area into a depression concentrated at theelement-engaged portion of the mattress.

13. The invention defined in claim 12, in which: the lower element hasan upwardly facing marginal portion surrounding a recess in said lowerelement, said marginal portion directly engaging the mattress bottom andsaid recess accommodating portions of the lower mattress area deflecteddownwardly incident to formation of the depression created by the upperelement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 185,127 12/1876Peck 5-356 X 1,981,254 11/1934 Smith 2472.5 2,131,609 9/1938 Alexander5317 X 2,750,604 6/1956 Gold 5319 3,103,082 9/1963 Baermann 5-356FOREIGN PATENTS 212,604 3/ 1924 Great Britain. 916,398 1/1963 GreatBritain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

R; D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner,

1. A MATTRESS DEPRESSOR FOR A MATTRESS ON WHICH AN INVALID PERSON OR THELIKE IS RECLINING SO AS TO PROVIDE IN THE TOP OF SUCH MATTRESS ALOCALIZED DEPRESSION CAPABLE OF RECEIVING AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS IN ABODY PART OF SUCH PERSON, COMPRISING: A LOWER PLATE-LIKE ELEMENT ADAPTEDTO ENGAGE GENERALLY FLATWISE A PORTION OF THE BOTTOM OF A MATTRESSSPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INWARDLY FROM THE MARGINAL EDGE OF SUCHMATTRESS, AN UPPER BUTTON-LIKE ELEMENT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE UPPERSURFACE OF THE MATTRESS AT A PORTION THEREOF IN VERTICAL ALINEMENT WITHSAID BOTTOM ELEMENT, SAID BOTTOM ELEMENT HAVING A MATTRESS-ENGAGING AREASUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID UPPER ELEMENT, AND MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS FOR EXERTING A VERTICAL FORCEBETWEEN THE ELEMENTS TO HOLD THE UPPER ELEMENT DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THEBOTTOM ELEMENT AND THEREBY TO CREATE A SUBSTANTIAL DEPRESSION IN THEUPPER SURFACE OF THE MATTRESS CENTERED ABOUT SAID UPPER ELEMENT.